Restaurants, caterers, and hosts of parties often serve deviled eggs as part of a meal, or as hors d'oeuvres or an appetizer. Deviled eggs are usually made by a multi-step process. Typically, a chef creates a deviled egg by first boiling a raw egg until it becomes hard-boiled, i.e., solidifies into an egg white portion surrounding an egg yolk portion. After boiling and subsequent cooling, a chef begins to process the hard-boiled egg into the deviled egg by peeling the shell away from the egg white thereby exposing it for processing. After shelling the egg, the chef continues by slicing the egg lengthwise into two equal sized halves. Once the egg is sliced the chef has access to the inner yolk which is what is actually processed into the filling that characterizes a deviled egg. The chef continues by removing each half of the egg yolk and begins processing the yolk to create the characteristic deviling. This deviling is done by blending the egg yolk with spices, mayonnaise, relish, peppers or any other food item the chef decides to include in his deviled egg mixture. Finally, the chef finishes the deviled egg by placing the yolk mixture into the empty egg white halves from which the yolk was previously removed. As can be readily ascertained, this process takes considerable time and is need of improvement.
This need is even greater in the food for profit industry such as restaurants, catering businesses, or any enterprise that serves food to multiple people. In the restaurant and catering industries, a need exists to find the ability and means to create large numbers of deviled eggs quickly and efficiently to minimize the time expenditure and maximize the number of people served. Currently the method used to prepare large numbers of deviled eggs as discussed above is too slow and inefficient. Therefore there is a need for an improved method of preparing deviled eggs. More specifically, a need exists for a method of preparing multiple deviled eggs at the same time in order to speed up the process. A need also exists for an apparatus that allows a person to simultaneously prepare multiple boiled eggs for deviling that can be used and reused repeatedly.
A desirable type of apparatus for use by chefs and food preparation personnel should be small enough to hold in one hand and yet process multiple boiled eggs at the same time. In addition, the apparatus should be able to slice the eggs in such a manner that the egg whites are separated from the egg yolk. Also, the apparatus should preserve the shape of the egg white for later filling by the processed egg yolk. Finally, the apparatus should be capable of immediate reuse and should be easy to clean and disinfect.
Currently available egg slicing devices do not meet the present need. Devices that are currently available do not perform the functions needed to mass produce deviled eggs in a time efficient manner. Specifically, presently known devices do not cut an egg into two halves for making deviled eggs. Currently, typical egg slicers use thin wire to cut a hard- boiled egg into multiple round slices or multiple wedge shaped slices. Obviously, this shape cannot be used to create a deviled egg, as the egg white needs to be preserved intact in two substantially equal pieces. Also, the egg slicing devices currently available do not separate the egg white from the yolk. To create a deviled egg, the egg yolk must be processed separately from the egg white. Finally, the current devices for egg slicing and processing do not cut the egg leaving the yolk intact. The yolk is cut along with the egg white making it difficult to separate the yolk from the white. Therefore it can be readily seen that there exists a need within the art for an apparatus that achieves the goals of the present invention.